Thread about Running

[WhatTheHeel?]

Woman killed after van hits runners at Grandfather Mountain, officials say

It happened at about 6:30 p.m. on N.C. Highway 105 (Linville Avenue) near Blowing Rock Highway.

www.wsoctv.com

I used to go to this race and had a lot of friends there this year. Tragic.

 

[uncboy10]

Woman killed after van hits runners at Grandfather Mountain, officials say

It happened at about 6:30 p.m. on N.C. Highway 105 (Linville Avenue) near Blowing Rock Highway.

www.wsoctv.com

I used to go to this race and had a lot of friends there this year. Tragic.

Damn that’s horrible. I wonder if the driver was drunk

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Damn that’s horrible. I wonder if the driver was drunk

If my friend was correct about who was at the wheel then no. A stuck accelerator pedal is what I am hearing. I don't want to say who may have been driving in case he is wrong.

 

[uncboy10]

If my friend was correct about who was at the wheel then no. A stuck accelerator pedal is what I am hearing. I don't want to say who may have been driving in case he is wrong.

I just read it was someone associated with the race who was shuttling people. I guess there isn't really any good answer but some kind of mechanical failure would at least be better than someone being drunk or not paying attention.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

My guess is that in the pre-race excitement and hurry, it was just a momentary lapse. I knew it was a race official, but if they were shuttling people, it probably was not the person I was told. They cancelled tomorrow's associated marathon.

 

[uncboy10]

My guess is that in the pre-race excitement and hurry, it was just a momentary lapse. I knew it was a race official, but if they were shuttling people, it probably was not the person I was told. They cancelled tomorrow's associated marathon.

One of the reports made it sound like the van was parked then it suddenly jumped forward into the crowd. If that's the case I would guess it's a case of someone forgetting to put the van in park. If it was a Ford Transit van then those tend to have a momentary pause before they begin creeping forward at idle. If it was on an incline and someone went to climb into the back with it still in gear then it could have rolled forward into the crowd.

It's hard to imagine a modern vehicle having a parking break or stuck throttle issue but I guess it does occasionally happen.

 

[uncboy10]

I'm seeing a lot of people saying that the driver just mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake. Just a really horrible accident.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

It was one of those larger passenger vans I believe. An older model maybe.

They have released the drivers name now and its who I was told. He is the RD for the Grandfather Mountain Marathon that was to be today but was understandably canceled. He has been a philosophy teacher at ASU for 50 years and a very well liked guy. I feel terrible for him and of course those who were injured or died.

 

[uncboy10]

Walmsley is putting in work at UTMB. Could be the first American male to bring home the win

ETA: dammit looks like he injured something

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Walmsley is putting in work at UTMB. Could be the first American male to bring home the win

ETA: dammit looks like he injured something

I made it back this year. Embarrassing to day but Killian probably could have lapped me! Still glad to have finished. It is so beautiful in this area.

 

[uncboy10]

I made it back this year. Embarrassing to day but Killian probably could have lapped me! Still glad to have finished. It is so beautiful in this area.

Congrats on the finish! That’s awesome. Sorry the day didn’t go as you hoped though. How were the conditions compared to other years?

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Congrats on the finish! That’s awesome. Sorry the day didn’t go as you hoped though. How were the conditions compared to other years?

They have additional mandatory gear if its a "hot" year or a "cold" year. When I went and DNF'd in 2018 it was a cold year. This year it was neither. I personally got hot but better than in NC and less humidity. No rain.

I am honestly fine with the outcome. I certainly wasn't sufficiently prepared. I was 5.5 hours off my goal which mainly meant being out there in the heat again today.

My thighs just got destroyed early on and I was down to only walking the last 40% of the event.

 

[uncboy10]

They have additional mandatory gear if its a "hot" year or a "cold" year. When I went and DNF'd in 2018 it was a cold year. This year it was neither. I personally got hot but better than in NC and less humidity. No rain.

I am honestly fine with the outcome. I certainly wasn't sufficiently prepared. I was 5.5 hours off my goal which mainly meant being out there in the heat again today.

My thighs just got destroyed early on and I was down to only walking the last 40% of the event.

Glad you got some good conditions to enjoy the course in.

The walking thing is tough because it really sinks in how many more hours you have ahead of you and it seems to go by so slow...

 

[Heelicious]

I decided to go ahead and bump this thread up - not because anyone should care about my running experiences- but instead - last year at about this time (Final Four) I was running a marathon in Paris right after UNC beat Duke in the Final Four.

Tomorrow morning Sunday morning 9 am Tokyo time, Saturday evening in chapel hill - I will be running the Tokyo Marathon and completing the 6th of 6 world majors - at basically exactly the time the Heels will take down Duke again.

At least I hope it’s a good omen AGAIN!

There are about 38,000 marathoners in the race tomorrow. 3,500 get their 6 star medal for finishing the 6 world majors. We all get our name in Guinness world record book for most people to complete the world majors at a single race.

There are so many (3,500) because the race is finally happening after being cancelled for 3 years (‘20 ‘21 ‘22) due to Covid.

There has been so much delay and stress and illogical non- answers and Covid testing and poor race management frankly - I just want three things at this point: 1) get to start line 2) get to finish line (regardless of finish time) 3) get the six star medal.

It’s been such a huge goal, delayed, for so many. Even with 3,500 6 star finishers this year there will only be about 10,000 runners worldwide who have completed all the majors so a pretty small global group. Boston, London, and Tokyo can be hard to get into - Tokyo and London for foreigners especially- you can’t really time qualify as a foreigner and the lottery drawings are tiny - fewer than 5% of applicants.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Good luck, but I guess you are already started or are about to and won't see this.

Full report is expected in the next few days.

 

[pooponduke]

Here's hoping you were able to compete in and complete the run. It would stink for you to put in all that effort to have it derailed by something.

 

[Heelicious]

Here's hoping you were able to compete in and complete the run. It would stink for you to put in all that effort to have it derailed by something.

Thanks so much @pooponduke amd @WhatTheHeel?

I did run and finish the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty or fast because after mile 10 every mile was very tough. I’m Still not 100%.from testing positive for Covid a couple weeks ago though I’ve been negative recently.

I kept my time just under 4 hours which took a lot of mental and physical work especially last half of the race. I was super happy to finish and get my 6 star (6 world majors) medal. What I thought I could accomplish in 30 months ended up taking 66 months - a 3 year delay / wait.

Tokyo is so amazing and interesting. So different in so many ways compared to even metro US. Such huge cultural differences and the number of people (40 million) in a relatively small man made city/ island footprint is hard to fathom.

I love the people here - so friendly and gracious. Everyone I’ve met in a hospitality or food / shopping environment anyway.

But the Tokyo Marathon Foundation has been terrible at planning for the marathon and having it happen. They are way worse than any other major and most people think they should lose their major status if they can’t get their act together

 

[gunslingerdick]

Thanks so much @pooponduke amd @WhatTheHeel?

I did run and finish the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty or fast because after mile 10 every mile was very tough. I’m Still not 100%.from testing positive for Covid a couple weeks ago though I’ve been negative recently.

I kept my time just under 4 hours which took a lot of mental and physical work especially last half of the race. I was super happy to finish and get my 6 star (6 world majors) medal. What I thought I could accomplish in 30 months ended up taking 66 months - a 3 year delay / wait.

Tokyo is so amazing and interesting. So different in so many ways compared to even metro US. Such huge cultural differences and the number of people (40 million) in a relatively small man made city/ island footprint is hard to fathom.

I love the people here - so friendly and gracious. Everyone I’ve met in a hospitality or food / shopping environment anyway.

But the Tokyo Marathon Foundation has been terrible at planning for the marathon and having it happen. They are way worse than any other major and most people think they should lose their major status if they can’t get their act together

Congrats brother. Marathon running is a sickness. I know it all too well. I grew up with a dad that often centered our family vacations around his running marathons. I think he did over 30 in his lifetime. Never Tokyo but Boston, NY, DC, Long Beach, and many others. He was a pretty good runner as he usually finished in the 3:30 range. Except of course for the Grandfather Mountain marathon (which I'm not sure still exists). But because of the elevation change for that one, he was over 4 hours.

 

[Heelicious]

Congrats brother. Marathon running is a sickness. I know it all too well. I grew up with a dad that often centered our family vacations around his running marathons. I think he did over 30 in his lifetime. Never Tokyo but Boston, NY, DC, Long Beach, and many others. He was a pretty good runner as he usually finished in the 3:30 range. Except of course for the Grandfather Mountain marathon (which I'm not sure still exists). But because of the elevation change for that one, he was over 4 hours.

Thanks much @gunslingerdick !

You are right that it becomes a sickness or an addiction, for many. It has become a second family for me, coming from a small family. I love all my run friends and adopted family I’ve met locally and nationally.

Same as you said regarding family vacations. I set and accomplished a goal of running a half marathon in each state +DC. I accomplished it in about 7 years. Many states were solo trips, I think there were about 7-8 back to back Saturday/ Sunday races in adjoining states. but like you said for several years our family vacations were around the next state HM I needed to run. Some were great places like Florida, others were less beautiful but traveling as a family made it fun.

Your dad’s times sound really good! 3:30 is well above average. I think the average or median marathon time is around 4:15 or 4:30. My marathon average was around 3:25 but has trended down due to some challenging races recently (Rome and Paris a week apart last spring, Tokyo while partially sick, etc). Foreign / overseas races are harder for sure.

I seriously think I only have a couple full marathons left in me. A downhill one in Mt Charleston in three weeks, hoping to qualify for one more Boston with friends in 2024. I hate the way the marathon makes me a crippled immobile slow old man almost needing a wheelchair for 3 days after the race.

I’ll go back to half marathons and shorter trail runs. I LOVE the half marathon distance and have run over 120 of them. I can’t recall one half marathon where I couldn’t function normally- no effects - the day after the race. And I can still work to get faster and place in my age group.

My last couple halfs I’ve raced I finished in top 4 out of around 100 in my age/gender group, which is fun. I just don’t think I can do that in the full marathon distance.

ETA: At Tokyo the tour group I was with discussed other places becoming world majors. There are a lot of boxes for marathons to check to become a world major. Two that are trying to become world majors are Sydney Australia and Capetown South Africa. I’d run both of those if they become majors.

There is some place in China trying to become a major too. I hope they don’t. I have no interest ever in going to or running in a China.

 

[pooponduke]

Thanks much @gunslingerdick !

You are right that it becomes a sickness or an addiction, for many. It has become a second family for me, coming from a small family. I love all my run friends and adopted family I’ve met locally and nationally.

Same as you said regarding family vacations. I set and accomplished a goal of running a half marathon in each state +DC. I accomplished it in about 7 years. Many states were solo trips, I think there were about 7-8 back to back Saturday/ Sunday races in adjoining states. but like you said for several years our family vacations were around the next state HM I needed to run. Some were great places like Florida, others were less beautiful but traveling as a family made it fun.

Your dad’s times sound really good! 3:30 is well above average. I think the average or median marathon time is around 4:15 or 4:30. My marathon average was around 3:25 but has trended down due to some challenging races recently (Rome and Paris a week apart last spring, Tokyo while partially sick, etc). Foreign / overseas races are harder for sure.

I seriously think I only have a couple full marathons left in me. A downhill one in Mt Charleston in three weeks, hoping to qualify for one more Boston with friends in 2024. I hate the way the marathon makes me a crippled immobile slow old man almost needing a wheelchair for 3 days after the race.

I’ll go back to half marathons and shorter trail runs. I LOVE the half marathon distance and have run over 120 of them. I can’t recall one half marathon where I couldn’t function normally- no effects - the day after the race. And I can still work to get faster and place in my age group.

My last couple halfs I’ve raced I finished in top 4 out of around 100 in my age/gender group, which is fun. I just don’t think I can do that in the full marathon distance.

ETA: At Tokyo the tour group I was with discussed other places becoming world majors. There are a lot of boxes for marathons to check to become a world major. Two that are trying to become world majors are Sydney Australia and Capetown South Africa. I’d run both of those if they become majors.

There is some place in China trying to become a major too. I hope they don’t. I have no interest ever in going to or running in a China.

If you want to run in South Africa, you need to listen to this podcast I caught on The Comrades there. Great listen and really cool how this race has evolved over time.

The Comrades - 99% Invisible

Most years, more than 15,000 people run the Comrades – way more than run any other ultra-marathon in the world. For reference, about 25,000 people ran the last Boston marathon. But at 56 miles, the Comrades is more than twice as long. It’s a slog by any standard. Over the course of the day, runners

99percentinvisible.org

 

[blazers]

Thanks so much @pooponduke amd @WhatTheHeel?

I did run and finish the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty or fast because after mile 10 every mile was very tough. I’m Still not 100%.from testing positive for Covid a couple weeks ago though I’ve been negative recently.

I kept my time just under 4 hours which took a lot of mental and physical work especially last half of the race. I was super happy to finish and get my 6 star (6 world majors) medal. What I thought I could accomplish in 30 months ended up taking 66 months - a 3 year delay / wait.

Tokyo is so amazing and interesting. So different in so many ways compared to even metro US. Such huge cultural differences and the number of people (40 million) in a relatively small man made city/ island footprint is hard to fathom.

I love the people here - so friendly and gracious. Everyone I’ve met in a hospitality or food / shopping environment anyway.

But the Tokyo Marathon Foundation has been terrible at planning for the marathon and having it happen. They are way worse than any other major and most people think they should lose their major status if they can’t get their act together

My lungs and ears hate running in the cold. How was the weather in Tokyo? We were in Japan late Feb a few yrs ago and froze.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Thanks so much @pooponduke amd @WhatTheHeel?

I did run and finish the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday. It wasn’t pretty or fast because after mile 10 every mile was very tough. I’m Still not 100%.from testing positive for Covid a couple weeks ago though I’ve been negative recently.

I kept my time just under 4 hours which took a lot of mental and physical work especially last half of the race. I was super happy to finish and get my 6 star (6 world majors) medal. What I thought I could accomplish in 30 months ended up taking 66 months - a 3 year delay / wait.

Tokyo is so amazing and interesting. So different in so many ways compared to even metro US. Such huge cultural differences and the number of people (40 million) in a relatively small man made city/ island footprint is hard to fathom.

I love the people here - so friendly and gracious. Everyone I’ve met in a hospitality or food / shopping environment anyway.

But the Tokyo Marathon Foundation has been terrible at planning for the marathon and having it happen. They are way worse than any other major and most people think they should lose their major status if they can’t get their act together

Glad you got it done, even though COVID made it take much longer than you planned.

A while back, I mentioned a friend is trying to do the six majors pushing his adult special needs son. He's going to Berlin this year. You said that Tokyo didn't do a good job with execution. Could you elaborate so I can pass along to him the problems you saw?

So, what's next?

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Congrats brother. Marathon running is a sickness. I know it all too well. I grew up with a dad that often centered our family vacations around his running marathons. I think he did over 30 in his lifetime. Never Tokyo but Boston, NY, DC, Long Beach, and many others. He was a pretty good runner as he usually finished in the 3:30 range. Except of course for the Grandfather Mountain marathon (which I'm not sure still exists). But because of the elevation change for that one, he was over 4 hours.

Grandfather Mountain Marathon is likely no longer due to the incident that happened at it's sister race, "The Bear 5-Miler" in Linville last year. I know the people who timed both races for the last 10+ years and that's their feeling as well. Unless someone else takes it on. It doesn't look like App. State wants to be involved any more. They always said to add twenty minutes to your normal marathon time to get your Grandfather time. I guess that was fairly accurate.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

My last couple halfs I’ve raced I finished in top 4 out of around 100 in my age/gender group, which is fun. I just don’t think I can do that in the full marathon distance.

ETA: At Tokyo the tour group I was with discussed other places becoming world majors. There are a lot of boxes for marathons to check to become a world major. Two that are trying to become world majors are Sydney Australia and Capetown South Africa. I’d run both of those if they become majors.

There is some place in China trying to become a major too. I hope they don’t. I have no interest ever in going to or running in a China.

Placing seems to depend so much on who shows up. I managed to win my age group in the 2021 Kiawah Marathon (out of 70) but was 4th in 2022 despite finishing three minutes faster.

I'm a little surprised that half of the world majors are in the US and wouldn't be surprised if they add more international ones. Better keep your passport ready!

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

Congratulations Heelicious! It takes untold physical and mental effort to complete a marathon. I have never attempted one. My best races in the 1980’s were a 36+ minute 10K and an 82 minute half marathon.
Even as a young man, l realized that l couldn’t devote the training required to finish a marathon
with a respectable (my bias) time.
Fast forward, l still run two miles or more practically every day and appreciate my ability to do that much.
Now, it’s 20 minutes of Red Hot Chili Peppers or Incubus in my ear buds and a grateful heart that l can still
strap shoes on my feet and do that much.
To all the runners out there, keep at it. It certainly promotes a lifetime of positive health outcomes; I will testify to that.

 

[Heelicious]

Glad you got it done, even though COVID made it take much longer than you planned.

A while back, I mentioned a friend is trying to do the six majors pushing his adult special needs son. He's going to Berlin this year. You said that Tokyo didn't do a good job with execution. Could you elaborate so I can pass along to him the problems you saw?

So, what's next?

This is so awesome that your friend is doing this! Berlin and Tokyo are quite flat so that should be a benefit for your friend pushing his son around. I think Boston, NYC, and London are most challenging of majors regarding hills.

Regarding Tokyo, the actual people who live there, and all the volunteers were top notch. The issues I mention with the Tokyo Marathon are probably in the past now. They pertain to the race being canceled for three years, when the other majors (some larger than Tokyo with just as many or more foreign runners - NYC) found a way to continue the race one-two years before Tokyo Marathon Foundation could figure it out and get their act together. Even this year, it was very clear in the program that there is a possibility the race could be cancelled until morning of March 5 ( race day! Nice!)

I did this race with a great marathon group called Marathon Tours. They are based in Boston and they are excellent at planning all the travel, hotels, side attractions, getting bibs, etc around worldwide marathons. It drove them crazy, so much work for so many years, trying to get info out of Tokyo Marathon Foundation about whether the race was going to happen, and what info they could pass along to their runners. Even this year we didn't get final race info until only a week before the race which is pretty short given the travel etc involved.

The expo wasn't very well organized either, with pretty long lines, and inconsistent processes for health checks and getting bibs, etc and the major sponsors didn't even sell any merchandise really (no big deal, but disappointing to some who like to collect swag for their majors).

A lot of it is cultural, in that I think the Japanese have such a vastly different method of negotiation, issue resolution, communication, etc than America or the west in general. Not nearly as wired to promptly communicate, and "get to yes" on problem resolution, moving forward, making things happen. I've noticed this cultural difference largely in my work life too, when the company I work for acquired a US subsidiary company from a Japanese company, and it took so much longer than expected, with no real understanding of how negotiation and getting to a solution works in the Japanese culture.

So - none of this is insurmountable and I'm sure your friend and his son will be fine, and they should treat them with extra special attention and care. I think its just good to prepare for things to move slower with less communication, less reason, and less urgency to get to a point of having the race, than anything they've experienced in the US or other Western countries.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

This is so awesome that your friend is doing this! Berlin and Tokyo are quite flat so that should be a benefit for your friend pushing his son around. I think Boston, NYC, and London are most challenging of majors regarding hills.

Regarding Tokyo, the actual people who live there, and all the volunteers were top notch. The issues I mention with the Tokyo Marathon are probably in the past now. They pertain to the race being canceled for three years, when the other majors (some larger than Tokyo with just as many or more foreign runners - NYC) found a way to continue the race one-two years before Tokyo Marathon Foundation could figure it out and get their act together. Even this year, it was very clear in the program that there is a possibility the race could be cancelled until morning of March 5 ( race day! Nice!)

I did this race with a great marathon group called Marathon Tours. They are based in Boston and they are excellent at planning all the travel, hotels, side attractions, getting bibs, etc around worldwide marathons. It drove them crazy, so much work for so many years, trying to get info out of Tokyo Marathon Foundation about whether the race was going to happen, and what info they could pass along to their runners. Even this year we didn't get final race info until only a week before the race which is pretty short given the travel etc involved.

The expo wasn't very well organized either, with pretty long lines, and inconsistent processes for health checks and getting bibs, etc and the major sponsors didn't even sell any merchandise really (no big deal, but disappointing to some who like to collect swag for their majors).

A lot of it is cultural, in that I think the Japanese have such a vastly different method of negotiation, issue resolution, communication, etc than America or the west in general. Not nearly as wired to promptly communicate, and "get to yes" on problem resolution, moving forward, making things happen. I've noticed this cultural difference largely in my work life too, when the company I work for acquired a US subsidiary company from a Japanese company, and it took so much longer than expected, with no real understanding of how negotiation and getting to a solution works in the Japanese culture.

So - none of this is insurmountable and I'm sure your friend and his son will be fine, and they should treat them with extra special attention and care. I think its just good to prepare for things to move slower with less communication, less reason, and less urgency to get to a point of having the race, than anything they've experienced in the US or other Western countries.

Thanks, and I'll share that with him. I think he knows a guy with Marathon Tours whose son has the same condition as his. My guess is that his Tokyo trip will be with them and I imagine the Berlin trip is as well.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Congratulations Heelicious! It takes untold physical and mental effort to complete a marathon. I have never attempted one. My best races in the 1980’s were a 36+ minute 10K and an 82 minute half marathon.
Even as a young man, l realized that l couldn’t devote the training required to finish a marathon
with a respectable (my bias) time.
Fast forward, l still run two miles or more practically every day and appreciate my ability to do that much.
Now, it’s 20 minutes of Red Hot Chili Peppers or Incubus in my ear buds and a grateful heart that l can still
strap shoes on my feet and do that much.
To all the runners out there, keep at it. It certainly promotes a lifetime of positive health outcomes; I will testify to that.

Those are excellent 10K and Half times.

What would have been your goal marathon time? A calculator would put you at sub-3 for certain. Maybe 2:50 or so?

 

[Heelicious]

Thanks, and I'll share that with him. I think he knows a guy with Marathon Tours whose son has the same condition as his. My guess is that his Tokyo trip will be with them and I imagine the Berlin trip is as well.

I've done three trips with Marathon Tours now (Berlin, Rome/Paris, and Tokyo). I've gotten to know the top guy Jeff Adams a bit - he lives in Wisconsin actually, not far from me in MN - and we've gotten to know Nicole Langone who was lead in a couple of the trips I was on (Rome/Paris, and Tokyo). She and my wife became good friends, including Nicole consoling my wife and helping her cope with lost luggage and being without any other clothes in Rome / Paris for two weeks. Fun.

Anyway - people think Marathon Tours are a bit expensive but IMO they are a great group. They have so much knowledge, so many connections in all these cities, and are superb at all the details around the travel, accommodations, races, and meals/celebrations.

I ran London with a different race tour group, (and a charity that was great in hospitality) The difference between the London tour group vs Marathon Tours was vast, and not in a good way. Once you go with a lesser group, you start to realize all that goes into coordinating a group running in a different country, and all that can go wrong or be lacking.

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

Those are excellent 10K and Half times.

What would have been your goal marathon time? A calculator would put you at sub-3 for certain. Maybe 2:50 or so?

Thanks, WTH. Maybe 3:15? I was in my late twenties, wife and two young daughters. I felt selfish on long training runs and that limited my long distance endurance, so marathon training was incompatible with the family life l wanted.
I have been running for 44 years and a daily 2.5 miler has been my base all along.
Luckily, l have avoided injuries, enjoy excellent metabolism, and appreciate all the benefits that running provides.
One of my daughters is a devoted runner and racer who runs 80 minute 10 milers. 👍🏽

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

You'd have done much better than 3:15. My half PR was 1:27 and my marathon PR was the high side of 2:59, though that was a downhill course. 3:02 on a flat, beach course. My 10K PR was slower than yours too.

But I totally agree on the "selfish" side of it if you're married. I've cut back a lot for that same reason even though we don't have kids.

Sounds like you've got a daughter following in your footsteps.

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

WTH? - Thanks for your comments. I'm proud of her many accomplishments.

 

[gteeitup]

shoutout to tommy rivs for getting under 5 hours in the boston marathon…that dude has been through hell and lives to tell about it.

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

Amazing mental and physical talents. Press on, Tommy.

 

[uncboy10]

I’m gonna be taking a swing at the Grindstone 100k this weekend. Looking like rough weather (rain) but I’m hoping I can finish in time to make it back to the hotel and kick my legs up to watch the Carolina game with a pizza or two.

This is my third swing at getting a western states lottery ticket and this one happens to also be a golden ticket race. So there will be some really talented men and women going out hard from the gun to chase those automatic bids. I’m hoping to go out smart and just run a consistent race all the way to the finish. Hopefully it will be a good day.

 

[gteeitup]

I’m gonna be taking a swing at the Grindstone 100k this weekend. Looking like rough weather (rain) but I’m hoping I can finish in time to make it back to the hotel and kick my legs up to watch the Carolina game with a pizza or two.

This is my third swing at getting a western states lottery ticket and this one happens to also be a golden ticket race. So there will be some really talented men and women going out hard from the gun to chase those automatic bids. I’m hoping to go out smart and just run a consistent race all the way to the finish. Hopefully it will be a good day.

very cool, good luck to you.

 

[uncboy10]

very cool, good luck to you.

Thank ya, I’m sure I’ll need all the luck I can get lol

 

[gteeitup]

Thank ya, I’m sure I’ll need all the luck I can get lol

strava it?

 

[uncboy10]

strava it?

Oh yeah. If all goes well I'll be nerding out on splits back at the hotel room while watching us curb stomp Pitt.

Here's the live tracking link as well in case anybody wants to follow along. That goes straight to my tracking, but the front of the race should be really interesting to follow.

UTMB Live - Grindstone Trail Running Festival 2023 - Matt RADFORD

Follow Matt RADFORD on Grindstone Trail Running Festival 2023

live.utmb.world

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Oh yeah. If all goes well I'll be nerding out on splits back at the hotel room while watching us curb stomp Pitt.

Here's the live tracking link as well in case anybody wants to follow along. That goes straight to my tracking, but the front of the race should be really interesting to follow.

UTMB Live - Grindstone Trail Running Festival 2023 - Matt RADFORD

Follow Matt RADFORD on Grindstone Trail Running Festival 2023

live.utmb.world

Congratulations! Turned out to be a pretty good weekend for you (Grindstone Finish+UNC Win.) That looks like the course has changed from years ago--or at least the aid station names have changed. I'm sure it's as tough a course as it ever was.

Is Clark Zealand still the RD?

The friend I've mention who's trying to do the world major marathons pushing his grown, special needs son, did Berlin this weekend. I think he's done 3 of 7 now.